"I want to dedicate more time to working with and learning from the few remaining masters in this field."
Hanna Khoury (b. 1980) was trained in Western classical music and has performed with several orchestras including the Lancaster Symphony and the Harrisburg Symphony. His passion, however, lies in Arab classical music. "I want to dedicate more time to working with and learning from the few remaining masters in this field," Khoury says, noting the scarcity of musicians and venues dedicated to the genre, "to become an authority in classical Arab music." An Arab-Israeli musician, Khoury is a budding master of his craft who plays with superb technique. He hopes to use his talent to bring Arab classical music to audiences in the United States and throughout the world. In 2010, Khoury established the Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble at Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, a Philadelphia nonprofit organization for youth education in Arabic language, arts, and culture. He is currently a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology at the University of Pennsylvania exploring popular culture and nationalism. As a performer, Khoury continues to collaborate with a number of prominent artists including Mandy Patinkin, in addition to solo engagements and residencies throughout the country.
Intercultural Journeys Ensemble (Udi Bar-David, Hanna Khoury, and Rolando Morales-Matos) perform with I Virtuosi Italiani, under the direction of Corrado Rovaris in 2009 Concerts for Life and Peace, 2009.
